Chapter 1 - Naomi
I sighed heavily as I put another dirty keg down.
What a night!
One of the ovens at the bakery caught fire so we had to run there in the night hours with David in hope to save everything we could.
Heavy smoke was peaking through the roof and a few windows had broken because of the fire heat when we arrived.
Thankfully, the fire had taken place in the kitchen which was a secluded part of the shop so damage was limited. Only the oven and the surroundings were out of use, the shop and electrical system were working and our products were safe.
We still spent the rest of the night cleaning and making sure everything was good to go for the baking in the morning. We couldn't afford to close again.
Wiping the yellowish counter with an almost clean tissue, I pushed down memories of this last year.
I had tried to keep the shop afloat while David was out in training but managing a bakery on my own for a whole year had been very exhausting.
I had to be up at all hours, mixing dough, baking, selling, advising customers, smiling, cleaning and doing accounting. Plus making sure I had deliveries now and then.
It had been a 24/7 job, without any vacation nor support.
And people at the Pack didn't trust me as they trusted Dave. I was a foreigner, with my green eyes and tiny figure, and they knew it.
I had tried for months to fit in and it had been fine as long as David was around, but the moment he left for this stupid one-year training, I could hear people gossiping and talking behind my back again.
I had guessed this pack was always going to put me down for being different. That had been their loss though. They didn't know what they were dealing with, I cheered me up as I could while finishing to set the fresh breads on the display case.
My situation had however changed within the last few months. The Pack had remained the same, with their eternal suspicion toward foreigners, but a new Alpha had arrived, Alpha Lukas, with his expecting mate, Jane, and the atmosphere considerably evolved.
Though, between you and I, it couldn't have gone worse than what it had been before… Alpha Donald's former laws on punishments and rewards for snitching on your neighbours were lifted, people had to work again to earn a living.
Taxes decreased as well, thank Mother Earth (and Alpha Lukas) ! Even though the weather had been exceptionally nice for a year, garding us from frost as we witnessed last winter, with David gone, I didn't sell enough during the whole year to actually afford paying both Alpha Donald's taxes and the electrical bill.
But with Alpha Lukas around, this was now behind us. My hard work had been rewarded with enough income to keep the bakery afloat, at least until the current fire accident...
Our Pack was composed of many forests throughout the land, isolating cities and villages from one another yet rumors were travelling as fast as the wind.
I had learnt the new Alpha was actually David's older stepbrother before my friend even stepped a foot back in his own bakery. Donald's true heir no-one knew about had been said to be our next Alpha and, I had to admit, it scared me at first.
What if he was like him? Or worse, what if he was like his other siblings, Donald's other chidren, except David?
That bastard son and daughter were the worst of all, ruling over the Pack as if they were entitled to. Fortunately for us, and especially for me, none of the former Alpha and his two loyal children ever came back from I-didn't-know-what happened on the island.
I wasn't sure anyone genuinely missed them. The sun shined brighter and the birds sung louder now that they were not part of our world anymore.
I had been working on the day Alpha Lukas arrived in our Pack, as I had been working every day for a year.
He came on a sunny day with a lot of other people, someone made a speech telling everyone Alpha Donald had died and that there would be a new Alpha from now on. Alpha Lukas was introduced, a banquet was set and after a few hours people went back to their everyday life.
Nonetheless, the death of Alpha Donald had lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders. I didn't have to hide from him anymore. The man despised foreigners, especially other species, so I had to be extra carefull outside to avoid raising suspicions.
I could now enjoy the little pleasures of life again, like taking longs walks alone and hanging out with David in the forest–
"Naomi!" My friend called, panicked, from the front entrance of the shop.
I lifted my head and watched him run the small distance from the door to the counter, reaching me with despair. His eyes were wide open and his face showed fear.
"They're coming!"
I frowned at him as I heard his frantic heartbeat beating in his chest. I looked around the shop but no-one was there, it was too early in the morning.
The shop was clean at last but the first customers wouldn't come for another hour, hell, our pastries weren't ready yet.
"The–! Alpha Joshua! And–" David stuttered and I started to worry, it wasn't like him to panick.
He had always been someone easygoing and optimistic, even after his return from his training. So what was going on?
My friend took a deep breath to steady his pulse and stared right down at me.
"Alpha Joshua is a beast. He's the Crown Alpha, Head of Council. He's the one who killed Donald!" David explained at high speed as adrenaline was really kicking in. "He put Lukas here as Alpha and he's visiting to check up on him."
The baker took another deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Jane, my friend and new Luna, just mind-linked me saying Alpha Joshua asked to see me. Me! He's coming here!"
His voice reached a peak I didn't it could. I winced but kept looking at my friend, bewildered. I didn't see where the problem was.
From my point of view, it should actually be usual to check on new Alphas, and as David was the last sibling who didn't try to kill Alpha Lukas yet, it was logical that this other Alpha was checking on him as well.
None of it seemed too surprising for me. Our new Alpha was good and I was on the contrary glad that someone was going to acknowledge it.
"Naomi!" David grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard, more panicked than before. "You need to leave! Now! He's–"
The loud sound of the front door being slammed open suddenly startled us. David gulped loudly and pushed me away, down the back door to the kitchen and then out in the small back alley.
I hadn't had time to protest that he gave me a last warning glance, turned around and shut the door behind him. A metallic noise told me he even locked it! What on Earth was his–
"Wolf McKingsley!" A deep dark voice echoed from the inside of the shop, resonated in my bones and traveled through my entire body.
I gasped.
I was alone outside the bakery yet a warmth spread through my body while my legs became unsteady. The hair on my arms started to raise while tickles ran down my nape.
I hadn't felt something like this in years!
"Did we interrupt something?" The foreign tone was domineering and confident, I could just picture the kind of man who spoke.
So proud of himself and pompous. Not someone I'd like. And in a blink, I was gone.
I heard David's voice answer something but I was already too far away down the street to understand a word. My friend had been right, I had to get away from this man.
He was only bringing darkness and sorrow, I could feel it. Something had changed in the air, it was subtle but not to be ignored.
Jumping over a stone wall, I walked fast, trying not to draw attention in the streets. Unfortunately for me, there weren't a lot of people outside at this hour but still too many to run.
My action would be suspicious and people remembered suspicious behaviours. What I wanted was to disappear and being in the city wasn't at my advantage. It was too dangerous as I stood out from the other werewolves.
I couldn't fade into the people's Pack. So I kept moving and walking until I reached the forest.
No-one knew a lot about me except David and I had wanted it to stay that way. I wanted to believe that this Alpha, coming to check on my friend, didn't have any ulterior motive but I had to trust David.
Being discovered by an ill-intentioned person would be the end of me, I worked too hard to get the life that I had! I had a great job, a good friend and enough time on the side to do my things.
I had stayed hidden for years, living right under Alpha Donald's nose and his stupid laws. This new Alpha, Alpha Lukas, was supposed to bring better days to the Pack, and hell did we need some!
I wanted to be allowed to take walks alone without the fear of being caught or snitched on. Walks without David at my side as a guarantor of my acceptability within the Pack.
I liked him but I needed my time alone as well, among trees and nature. I also needed to do things I couldn't when he was there.
Thinking about climbing trees and skinny diving into cold lakes made me increase my pace. I yearned for nature. It had been too long!
The forest was just outside the city but I hadn't had time to go there a lot within the last unsufferable year. Only there, I'd be able to get away, truly. Mentally and physically. That was my realm, my land.
Once I reached the edge of the city, I took one last look behind me, studying the empty streets and making sure I hadn't been followed.
When I felt secure enough, I stepped on the side and took off my jumper and my shoes. I wouldn't need those in the forest, they would only slow me down.
I considered getting totally naked but decided not to at the last minute, even though Alpha Donald's rules had been abrogated, you could never really know who was wandering into the woods…
Checking my pockets, I remembered I left my purse at the bakery and swore, I had important things in it, including my fake ID card. Things like that shouldn't fall into anyone's hands, especially an Alpha's. I trusted David but not that dark voice who came in. This one couldn't ever be trusted.
I folded my clothes neatly and hid them inside an old stone wall. I crossed the distance between me and the forest, every step giving more confidence.
Finally. My hand ran onto the first tree I met, caressing its bark. Holy Earth, I missed this!
I immediately felt my muscles relax as I went deeper into the woods. The leaves sang in the wind, welcoming me. The small animals cheered on my path and I smiled back at them.
I was back. But I couldn't stay long. I had to hide until that dark man left the Pack. Then I'd sadly have to go back to the city, pretending to be someone I wasn't in order to survive.
My silent walk was suddenly cut short by a branch snapping in the distance. Someone was there!
Focusing on my steps, I ran to an old oak, not the biggest which would be too obvious, but a smaller one on the side. I stretched my arms and grabbed the lowest branch.
Pulling me up, I swang my legs and wrapped them around the next branch. I steadied myself and reached for a third branch, slowly and silently climbing up the tree.
Once I was high enough to camouflage myself between the leaves, I stopped and took a look around. I was quite far from the city but high enough to spot the top of the roofs and hear faint noises.
No-one would find me here.
Minutes passed and I became drowsy, my sleepless night was taking its toll on me and the forest was implifying my somnolent state. When I was about to close my eyes and lean into the tree trunk, something sharp grab my ankle and pulled me down.
I cried out, surprised by the pain and the fall. My arms flailed around in hope of grabbing a branch but found nothing. I hit the ground with a loud cry, tears peaking around my eyes as my ribs broke.
I surely had a twisted ankle, at best, but that wasn't my worry. There was someone here. Lurking around. I could feel it. I could… smell him.
"Your scent doesn't do you grace." A dark voice commented behind me and I instantly stood up and spinned on my heels, wincing as the pain in my left ankle exploded.
My eyes became saucers and I let out a silent gasp while I watched the darkest man I'd ever seen walked menacingly toward me.
His eyes were as dark as the deepest abyss, his mid-long hair was attached in a low ponytail but strands fell in front of his face. He wore the deviliest of smiles and shivers ran down my spine as he spoke harshly.
"You're dangerously beautiful, Elf."
